Who Tells Your Story
by Sunlight3146
Summary: Benito of the Southern Wars knows he won't be the one to tell his story. She made a promise. She had to save him. Bella Swan may have been the first one to truly see her, but that didn't make a difference when the Libishomen came. Short stories of the super-minor (and somewhat non-existent) characters of Twilight.
1. Intro

**I'm planning on making this a collection of stories; stories, like the summary says, that are of characters who play a really small role in the _Twilight_ series. Each chapter will tell a different story, so it might take a while for others to come out.****I'd also love to have suggestions of other characters I should do. My current plan includes Benito (creator of the first newborn armies), Calypso (one of the humans that are killed by the Volturi in New Moon), Sasha (the Denalis' mother), and Afton (Chelsea's mate), though not necessarily in that order. Other ideas include Vasilii (Sasha's immortal child) himself, other minor members of the Guard, and Nettie or Lucy (the other vampires of Maria's coven), but these are all starting to fit in two categories, lawbreakers and the Volturi. My first chapter on Benito follows his entire life, but later ones might only be a short segment, it all depends. So what do you guys think? (If there's anyone who will read my stories...)****Also, I promise I'm still working on my other stories, especially _Holding Back the Dark_, if anyone's still waiting for updates on that. Benito and the others just really wanted their stories to be told, though!****And sorry for the multiple _Hamilton_ references. Just like in _Burn_, I couldn't resist!**


	2. The General

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns the Twilight saga and its universe. No profit is made here and no offense intended.**

**Note: This is not particularly historically accurate, since pretty much all the research I've done has been on a few Wikipedia pages, and since Benito is said to be from Dallas, which was settled 1839-1855, almost certainly after Benito's demise at the hands of the Volturi.**

* * *

I: El Hijo del Intendente

_1793_

A small boy, with olive-toned skin and light hazel eyes, holds a sword almost the length of his arm with both hands. He cringes away from it, frightened of the razor sharp edge he knows is dangerous.

Benito is five years old, and this is the first time he has held a sword.

"Remember that the sword is your tool. You control it. It listens to you. It is an extension of you," his father, Lorenzo, tells him. The son of a Mestizo woman and a disgraced Criollo, who climbed his way up in society inch by inch until he became _el intendente_ of Puebla in 1787, Lorenzo has always had high plans for his family and himself, and Benito, his heir, has been molded to become everything Lorenzo cannot, since the moment he was born.

After his swordsmanship class, Benito's tutors teach him Latin, mathematics, etiquette, history, everything Lorenzo deems necessary for Benito to thrive among the nobility of Nueva España. His final class, again, is with his father, as Lorenzo teaches him strategy. Military strategy.

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_1795_

Benito is now seven years old, and this is the first time he's ever truly hated his father.

Tomás, perhaps Benito's first real friend, is gone, to add insult to injury. Because Lorenzo found out. Someone told on them, that Benito had been playing with a servant boy in his free time, that Tomás had been encouraging Benito to skip out on his classes. He summoned both boys to the room.

Benito knows the room. It is where he has always been punished. So he expects, as Lorenzo takes out the stick, to be beaten again.

The pain is worth it. The hours he has spent playing with Tomás, finally free to be the carefree boy he should be, are worth it.

But then Tomás's parents, a housekeeper and a cook, come into the room. Both are holding back tears. And Lorenzo gestures to Tomás to lie face down on the desk, and hands the stick to the cook.

The stick comes down. Tomás's eyes water with pain, but he doesn't cry out. Tomás has always been braver than Benito.

Tomás's father beats him twelve times. It's more than Lorenzo has ever hurt Benito. Each time Benito looks away, Lorenzo adds another to the count. By the end, Tomás's back is a bloody mess, and Benito has vowed to someday kill his father.

"Benito," a quiet voice says from behind him. It is Lorenzo. Though Benito didn't notice it, his father has been standing by him, watching Tomás's family leave just like his son has.

"Go away," Benito says. His father doesn't get to talk to him like he always has, not after he took away Benito's first and only friend.

"Benito, I'm sorry that you're hurting. Truly, I am. But people like us, we are different from people like your friend. We are more. We are the ones who change the world, the ones like _Cristobal Colón_, like _Julio César_, like _Alejandro Magno_, like the people you read about in your history books. People like your friend become jealous of us, because they cannot understand. They hurt us, until we are powerless to fight back. Your friend, he encouraged you to skip your classes, _¿no?_ He wanted you to play with him, rather than to learn? He was jealous. He did not understand. He wanted to bring you down to his level. Do not let people like him bring you down. _¿Comprendes?_"

And Benito does understand. His father was right, like he always is. He is different, and Lorenzo knows how to help him to change the world. Tomás was a friend, and friends come and go, but leaving your mark on the world lasts forever.

And if it hurts, deep down, that he has lost his best friend, well, that is all part of what needs to happen for him to rise up.

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_1798_

Benito is ten years old when everything changes.

He does not know the full story, but he has heard enough gossip from the staff of the household and from the people he sees daily to know why.

Because Benito and Lorenzo are being exiled, from Puebla, near the center of Nueva España, to Tejas, at the fringes of society.

Though Lorenzo has told Benito nothing, Benito knows what happened. Lorenzo dishonored someone powerful in La ciudad de México, either the Viceroy of Nueva España himself or an important general or an elite family or someone in the Holy Office of the Inquisition (though the stories varied on how), then insulted that person by boasting about it (the kinder tales said he was drunk while doing so). And now, the de Vallego family has a week to Puebla de los Angeles, to some place in the Spanish Borderlands. They cannot take anything but a wagonload of belongings and a few trusted servants.

Lorenzo says nothing of the move, only glaring at everyone in his path in the few days they have left in the large house at the center of the city.

Benito says nothing, either, only listening at corners to whispered conversations about the scandal. He has no one to say goodbye to. There is no one who will remember him. But he vows that, someday, he will tear apart this society that has abandoned his family.

Maybe that will be how he will leave his mark on the world. Benito de Vallego, destroyer of Nueva España. He likes the sound of it.

* * *

II: Ella

_1798-1780_

For the first time in his life, Benito has nothing to do.

Lorenzo spends his days inside the creaky old house, usually with a bottle in hand. The few servants who came with them, including the head housekeeper, Lorenzo's most trusted aid, and the head cook, mostly ignore the little boy. None of Benito's tutors came with them, and Lorenzo doesn't Benito is not sure how he likes this new father, this new routine, this new life.

He is not sure how he feels about the change, but he is angry, deep down, at how his father has given up. Gone is the strong, genius superhero Benito knew as a child, and Benito despises how Lorenzo refuses to be strong, to fight back, even for Benito.

Which is why Benito makes a vow to himself, only days after they arrive in Tejas: that he will persist, no matter what life throws at him.

Benito keeps to himself, most of the time. He is nothing like the other children in town, the ones who spend their days playing and chattering, living their pointless lives. He wouldn't want to be one of them, anyway. He learns on his own, devouring large books, mostly on his favorite subject, strategy, but also on history and the other things he used to have tutors for. If his gaze ever wanders, if he ever wishes that he could be like the children outside, playing like he used to with Tomás, he remembers his vow and his decision.

Because when he's old enough, he knows he'll be ready to avenge his family.

That's why Benito does not notice his father's absences.

That is, until Lorenzo calls out to him, for the first time since they arrived in Tejas.

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_March, 1801_

Lorenzo's face is flushed, and not from the alcohol. His hand reaches out to behind the door, and Benito finds himself leaning forwards to see what his father has brought with him.

It is a lady.

He's seen her before; the schoolteacher of their little town. The children adore her, Señorita Bélgica. Though Benito himself has never met her, he knows of her reputation for kindness, and her ability to tame even the toughest child. Benito wonders why Lorenzo had brought her to their house.

"Benito, my dear boy," Lorenzo says almost jovially. It is so unlike him, unlike even the father he was back in Puebla, that Benito almost asks who he is. "I'd like you to meet Bélgica." Benito almost does not understand his next words. "Bélgica Texera de Solares. Your new mother."

But that cannot be right, Benito thinks. My mother's name is Aularia Garcia Ayere, not Bélgica Texera de Solares.

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_November, 1801_

It has been nearly eight months since Lorenzo married Bélgica. Benito has found, to his surprise, that he quite likes his new mother. She never pushes him to associate with the other boys his age, never disrupts him while he studies in the library, never questions the strange bond between father and son. And with her help, Lorenzo had managed to rise out of his drunken stupor. He spends a lot of time with his new wife, but he also managed to save time for his son, not that Benito appreciates it. He remembers his father's weakness, during the years after their exile, and refuses to hope that his father might be back. But Bélgica he grows to love.

Benito sometimes wonders if he, too, has been tamed by the lovely Señorita Bélgica, now Señora Bélgica. But he finds, too, that this does not matter to him.

And that is when Lorenzo and Bélgica drop the newest bombshell: that Bélgica is expecting.

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_Spring, 1802_

Life continues almost normally. Bélgica continues to teach at the school, if ignoring Lorenzo's protests that she is already six months along and he will not have her hurting herself and the baby! Benito continues to study throughout the day, and Lorenzo continues to do who-knows-what around town. Only in the evenings is there the slight buzz in the air, the hint that soon, their family will expand.

They discuss names. Bélgica and Lorenzo have come to an agreement: that if it is a girl, Bélgica will determine the name, while if it is a boy, Lorenzo will name him.

The evenings are filled with talk, hushed for the sake of the others in the house, of their darling _bebé_, their previous Liliana-o-Gemini. Benito feels slighted and jealous, during these long evenings, as he listens to his parents' conversations next door. During the day, though, when the baby has no impact on Benito's life, he is excited to have a little sister or brother.

And when the midwife comes and declares that Bélgica is expecting, not one, but two babies? Well, Benito is even more excited, just like his parents.

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_July 7, 1802_

"Lorenzo!" A voice cries out, late at night. Benito's father rushes into the room where Bélgica lies, gasping.

Benito is fourteen years old, and he knows exactly what is happening. The babies are coming.

Lorenzo emerges from the room, wide-eyed with fear. He spots Benito, and opens his mouth to issue some command, but Benito speaks first. He knows what his father will say.

"I'll get the midwife."

Benito rushes to the midwife, Tonixqua, 's house. She hurries with him back to Benito's home, carrying a few supplies and snapping instructions at her daughter, who follows them. The girl, a year younger than he, keeps sneaking adoring glances at Benito, but he hardly notices. He cannot even remember the girl's name, and his mind is more focused on his siblings' births.

Benito doesn't go into Bélgica's room. He has no desire to see it.

Lorenzo, too, paces outside the door. He goes in, then comes out, his head in his hands. At first, Benito is perplexed at his father's behavior. Then he realizes.

Fourteen years ago, in a room not unlike this, Lorenzo gained a son, but lost a wife.

And with three lives at risk? It is more than likely that Lorenzo will lose someone today.

When the midwife finally emerges, accompanies by her daughter, she holds a bundle of cloth. A baby, maybe both, lie in there, but not Bélgica.

"Are they...?" Lorenzo asks, his voice cracking.

"Señora Bélgica will recover," Tonixqua replies, and Benito lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "And one daughter will live."

Lorenzo lets himself begin to smile.

"But the others?" Benito asks.

"I'm sorry," she says. "The two other girls were stillborn. They're dead."

As Benito enters the room, as he approached his new little sister, he cannot help but grieve for his other little sisters, who never had a chance at life.

But as Liliana opens her _avellano_ eyes to watch him, Benito realizes that this new life is worth it.

She is worth it.

* * *

III: La Familia Rota

_1802-1804_

From the start, Benito knows that Liliana is different. Her _avellano_ eyes, so like Lorenzo's and Benito's own, see more than a normal infant's, a normal toddler's. As she grows, Liliana is unlike all the other children. She is reserved, almost as if she knows the price of her existence.

Like Benito himself, Liliana prefers to stay inside, rather than to frolick outside with the others. She is drawn, especially, to the large library in their house.

Though Liliana does not need much attention, her existence brings discourse onto their family life. Benito, not as unseeing as he was years ago, hears it all.

Bélgica and Lorenzo clash constantly, fighting about all sorts of matters, from Bélgica's wages, to Lorenzo's drinks, to the resignation of their housekeeper. But their arguments center over one issue. Something Benito has never realized was a problem.

Money. Because Lorenzo's seemingly endless wealth is running low, and Bélgica's school wages will not be enough to support their family.

"Get a job, _¡por Dios!_" Bélgica often screams. "Our money will run low, and then where will you be, _¿Señor Alcohol?_ When Liliana and Benito's stomachs grumble, what will you do?"

"I have money!" Lorenzo insists. "They promised to send a monthly salary when I left! You don't know anything about it, _mujer_! And don't talk about Benito like that! He is my son, not your son!"

"I love him as my son!" Bélgica defends. "Unlike you, who will not even get a job to feed him, and our daughter! And how would you know if they send you money? Why would they send you money, when you were exiled after having an affair with the general's wife!"

This is the first Benito has heard of Lorenzo's scandal in years, though he cannot say he is surprised by why their family was forced to leave Puebla.

The final straw, though, comes when a farmer's daughter, not much older than Benito himself, gives birth to a little boy, with no known father.

His eyes are the same _avellano_ as Benito's, as Liliana's, as Lorenzo's, and his name? Gemini.

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_1805_

After six years of marriage, they do it. Bélgica leaves Lorenzo, returning to her old home by the schoolhouse. She takes Liliana with her, while Benito stays with Lorenzo. Only for now, Benito assures her when she offers for him to come with her. Only until I get a place of my own. I am seventeen years old, after all.

That is his response, too, when she offers him money - Bélgica was right about Lorenzo's dwindling fortune. Benito is more than old enough to get his own job. He can support himself. He will take care of his father.

Like last time, Lorenzo has sunken into a stupor. He does not come out of bed, most days, and Benito suspects that his supply of beer has been perused again.

Benito has long since given up on his father. He knows Lorenzo, knows that he will never again be the father Benito remembers, the glorious intendant of Puebla. Lorenzo's ship has sailed; though he might not realize it, he will never change the world.

Not like Benito will.

Benito has not forgotten his childhood vow. He will seek revenge on those who destroyed his family, though he realizes now that he cannot do it alone.

But, even all the way out here in Tejas, Benito has heard rumors of a rebellion against the Spanish Empire.

Benito longs to travel to the heart of the New World again, to Puebla de los Angeles, where he grew up, or even to La ciudad de México. The only thing keeping him here is someone he cannot stand to leave. Liliana. For what will she do once he is gone?

Liliana is precocious, beyond her years, even at the age of three, but Benito cannot leave her. He needs to see her, needs to know she's safe, needs to protect her. And he cannot do that from hundreds of miles away.

It does not cross his mind that she will likely forget him by the time she is grown, if he leaves now.

Bélgica has transformed, as well. She is nothing like the kind schoolteacher she was when Benito first met her. She is hardened, angry at the world, at injustice, at Lorenzo. As she struggles, financially, to provide for both her and Liliana, Benito can tell that Liliana will not grow up with the same mother he had, another reason why he must stay.

The students at school, too, recognize the difference in their beloved teacher. They blame Lorenzo, and in his absence, Benito and Liliana. The newest children, and even the older ones, grow to hate the entire de Vallego family. But Bélgica cannot be replaced, either. There are too little educated women willing to teach.

Then, one day, Lorenzo collapses. By the time the midwife gets there, he's dead. Too much drink, Tonixqua proclaims, as her daughter gazes at Benito sympathetically. Benito grieves, of course, but to him, his father died seven, nearly eight years ago, back in Puebla.

Two months later, Benito himself is taken.

* * *

IV: El Titiritero

_December 25, 1806_

Benito is walking home from the hazel-eyed boy and his farmer mother's home - they are his family, after all, as much as Bélgica hates them - when it happens.

A hand covers Benito's mouth, while the other wraps around Benito and picks him up as though he is not a full-grown man. And then, whoever or whatever it is that has captured Benito runs.

The surroundings blur around them, and Benito gawks, for whatever has taken him is clearly not natural. Benito has no idea how far they've traveled, but finally, his captor begins to slow down. They have reached their destination: a ghost town.

They enter one of the buildings, from the look of it, the government office. Benito's captor enters one of the rooms, then sets Benito down. He has already made his decision. Benito attacks, rushing to get past the door.

"Sih-lay hu-mahn," his captor grumbles in an unfamiliar language, as he stares at Benito. Suddenly, Benito's limbs are frozen, and he cannot move. He topples over like a statue.

His captor's eyes watch him, interested, as Benito likewise examines the unnatural being that took him. The man is full of contradictions. He looks like a mulatto, with Negro features, but his skin is as light as a peninsular's. He must be at least as old as Benito, by his size, but his face looks strangely childlike, with the proportions all wrong. And something else, something that frightens Benito to his core.

_Los ojos._

The man - or whatever he is - has bright crimson eyes.

The red-eyed being approaches Benito. He tries to crawl away, but cannot. He cannot even flinch as the being - _¿un vampiro?_ \- brings his mouth closer to Benito's neck, then bites down.

And suddenly, Benito's world is filled with pain.

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_1807-1810_

Gradually, Benito adapts to his new life as a vampire, with Kenneth, his creator, and Inola, a female Indian vampire. At first, the lust for blood is so strong that Benito cares not what has happened to him, nor what Kenneth can do to them, but as his eyes darken and as time goes on, he understands.

Lorenzo always told Benito that he was destined for great things, but neither of them could have predicted that his destiny would be to become more than human.

Some days, Kenneth leaves them alone in the ghost town, with only the command to not leave the town boundaries. They - Benito and Inola - must obey, for Kenneth's mind holds an unnatural control over them. They are like puppets in his hands, unable to do what Kenneth does not wish for them to do. Inola tells Benito that not all vampires can do what Kenneth does.

Those days, alone in the ghost town, Benito much prefers. It's a relief, when the only thing Kenneth controls them to do is to stay in the town. The other days, when Kenneth is home, are not so kind.

Kenneth sees them as nothing more than dolls, tools to satiate his curiosity. Benito wishes to erase those days from his memory, but a vampire can remember everything in crystal clarity. All he can comfort himself with is this: that Inola has many more scars than Benito, from the years of Kenneth's experiments before Benito was transformed.

Slowly, though, Inola and Benito piece together a plan, a plan to end their tormenter and to finally be free. Inola tells him that she is like Kenneth, yet not so: she holds a gift beyond normal vampire abilities. She can amplify abilities, either mental or physical, beyond their normal capabilities. Benito is angry, at first, that she has amplified Kenneth's and increased their torment, but she tells him that it is all part of the plan. And once she explains, it makes sense.

If Kenneth is spoiled on the abundance of his ability with Inola's power on, he will not be prepared for when she turns it off.

Benito is glad that, for all of Kenneth's power, he cannot control their minds. It is this flaw that allows them to fight back.

They wait for a day where Kenneth brings their blood. He never lets them leave the ghost town, and thus must bring humans to Benito and Inola. He once tried starving them of their blood. Benito still shudders at the experience.

The extra bodies of the humans, as Benito and Inola have reasoned, will confuse Kenneth more. As far as they can tell, Benito holds no extraordinary gift, and they must rely on numbers to beat Kenneth. The more there are to control, the weaker his control will be. It might even snap.

When the humans come - four of them, two for Benito and Inola each - they resist the burning thirst and do not kill them immediately. With their black, thirsty eyes, Benito and Inola appear almost human, especially in comparison to Kenneth's obvious monstrosity. They lie to the humans, spinning a false yet believable tale, convincing the humans that they, too, must fight back against _el vampiro_.

When Kenneth comes to collect, they are ready.

Inola closes her eyes to concentrate, and suddenly, Kenneth seems weaker, less immortal, more beatable.

When her power turns on, as Inola explains, she affects everyone nearby. She cannot select who to amplify and who not to amplify, only whether she wants to amplify mental or physical abilities, or neither. So they have decided that she will amplify none. Any advantage given to Benito would only be given to Kenneth as well.

The humans attack first, pouncing at Kenneth, only to see their attempts beaten back easily. But they have provided the distraction Benito needs.

Using his years of combat training, modified to suit his new capabilities, Benito attacks, with Inola by his side. Kenneth's gift lashes out, finding the easier target in Inola. They have planned this, too.

It is a deadly mistake.

Benito's teeth sink into the back of Kenneth's neck, ripping his head off. Inola, now freed, lights the fire with matches from Kenneth's pockets. They tear up the pieces and throw them in. The puppeteer is gone.

The humans - all of them either dead or dying - do not react to this show. Nor do they react as Inola and Benito's teeth sink into their veins, as the two victorious vampires feed.

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_1810_

Sunset. It has been a few hours since Benito and Inola killed their creator, killed Kenneth. In the coming darkness, they say their goodbyes. Neither is sad that this part of their lives is over. Neither is happy, either, that they will be leaving a friend behind, but Benito must return to his Liliana, and Inola must return to her beloved, Wohali, up north.

Perhaps, many years in the future, they can visit, but for now, their loved ones await.

Following the path of Kenneth's scent, Benito runs back towards Tejas, towards his home. It has been four years, and his human memories are blurry, but like Inola, Benito has spent most of the time when Kenneth was gone remembering his human times.

Remembering, especially, Liliana.

He finds his old home without much difficulty. His appearance, though, is so changed that Benito knows he cannot simply appear again. There would be too many questions asked, and Inola has told him of the consequences when vampires attract too much attention among humans.

The Volturi, of Volterra, Italy. Benito wonders what it would be like to visit Europe.

Liliana is now eight years old, though her illegitimate brother, Gemini, and his mother died two years ago. Bélgica still hates the world, especially now that the man who was like her son is gone. The tension in Nueva España has reached its breaking point - insurgents declare a rebellion within a few months the fighting is intense. In the chaos, Benito sometimes sneaks to Puebla or La ciudad de México to feast upon those who have wronged him. It is then that Benito is made aware of the other vampires in the area. He does not infringe upon their territories, though, and none approach him.

Benito is content for now.

* * *

V: Las Guerras

_1811-1817_

Benito watches the wars for blood that occur around him with disdain. So much blood shed, so many vampire lives pointlessly lost. He sees how one side could easily win: by using disposable soldiers. When he was younger, he thought that there had to be some reason he didn't see, some reason why the covens were risking their own lives in the fighting instead of the lives of the easily controlled young ones. He searched for a reason, but never found one, and that was when he realized: there is nothing he doesn't understand because of his age, or because of his experience. The only reason why the covens don't use newborns is because they are estupidos.

He develops his plan, one that would guarantee domination over the battlefields. His desire for blood though, as a loner and a nomad, is easily satiated on the fringes of the cities; he sees no reason to destroy all the covens. Provoking the rage of other covens would only secure his eventual death at the hands of another vampire sooner, rather than later.

But his mind whirls on instinct, and his plan progresses.

At first, Benito imagines transforming one or two new vampires, carefully deceiving them, then having them attack the covens, while their eyes are still bright, their bodies are still strong, and their thirst is still all-consuming. He soon realizes that a few newborns wouldn't be enough - with enough caution, the frontal attacks of newborns can be defeated. A coven of newborns - no, an _ejército_, an army of newborns - would be necessary to truly defeat a coven of older vampires. But how to keep the newborns from destroying each other? Benito realizes the answer to that quickly: a strict discipline system, with the tantalizing rewards of blood and the threat of dismemberment as key systems. Push a group too far, and they start to rebel. But walk the line between fair and strict leader, reward for good behavior as well as punish for wrongdoing, and you have an army.

He has not been the first to recognize this approach; rulers of human nations, after all, do not fight each other directly. They use armies of the more disposable soldiers. Survival requires one to put his life above all others, and survival is the goal of every being in the world. Though ignoring the other covens and ignoring the promise of all that blood would be best for survival, Benito knows that if he had to fight in the Southern Wars, he would use his soldiers.

But blood is not the main purpose in Benito's life. It is his jewel of a younger sister, Liliana, who he protects and cherishes. Though neither Liliana or Bélgica, the woman who is no longer his mother, realize it, Benito has been watching over them ever since he was able to control himself near humans. He has watched Liliana mature into a feisty, independent young woman. And Liliana is better off as a human, he has always decided.

Until 1816. _El año sin verano._ The year with no summer. Early into the year, Liliana's _mamá_ dies. Benito watches as the town around his Liliana starves and freezes, and it is in August that Benito decides: there is no life any longer for Liliana as a human.

He changes her.

From the start, Benito knows that there is something not normal about his sister. Almost human scents, slight changes in how she acts, none of it adds up. He pokes and prods and encourages and understands, and finally, she tells him. She is not always herself.

"I wasn't the only one who was born, on July 7th," she says. It's not a question. _Lo sabe._ "My sisters were stillborn. They never lived, except for inside my head. I could hear them. Others too, other espíritus, but most strongly my sisters: Lili and Lilla. When you changed me, you almost killed them, but I reached out, somehow, inside me and pulled them into myself. It sounds crazy, I know, but they're there. And now, they can take control."

Benito begins to protest, that it does not sound crazy, that he knows of vampires with special gifts, that she has none of the insanity his creator had, but she puts a finger to her lips. Shush.

It is then that she changes. Her skin loses its crystalline smoothness, becoming slightly less vampiric. Her scent grows sweeter, changing her from friend-or-foe to food. And when she opens her eyes…

…they're hazel. _Avellano_, just like their _papá_'s.

"Hello, Benito," she says. "My name is Lila."

She shifts again, though it would be impossible, even for a vampire, to notice if not paying attention. The new - spirit? Girl? Sister - smiles wide. "Hey, _hermano_," she says. "I'm Lili."

Benito is frozen in amazement. He always knew his Liliana was special, but now … she brought back her sisters. She saved them. She is special, she is gifted, and she is even more fragile for it. As Lila and Lili explain their own gifts, he listens in a mixture of awe and fear. Awe because he cannot believe that he has three sisters now. And fear, because there are more of them, and more to lose.

And he cannot lose her. He cannot lose them.

«««««« ιστορια ωμνιαμ αβλητερο πηνγητ ημαγο »»»»»»

_1818-1824_

"_¿Hermano?_" a voice asks. Benito turns to his sister. In the year since Liliana has revealed the truth about her and her sisters, Benito has learned to differentiate between the three. The human-ish scent, bold eyes, and slightly more citrus scent meant the girl was Lili, not Lila or Liliana. Moreover, Lili is the only one who calls him _hermano_. After all this time, Liliana is still guarded around him, and Lila prefers to call him by his name.

"Yes?"

"We were thinking, how would you feel about going on a trip? Up north, to _Los Estados Unidos_? We could visit Inola, maybe meet some new vampires, see an actual forest?"

Benito blinks. He has never thought of that, of leaving their home around Dallas and traveling. But now that there is no one left for them in Tejas, there is nothing to prevent them from moving.

Nothing, of course, other than his still-present wish for revenge against Nueva España.

But Benito would like to see his friend, Inola, again.

"I suppose…" Benito says. "If Lila is sure that nothing unexpected will happen?" He is not quite sure why, but there is a territorial part of him that does not wish to leave Dallas. Is it the idea of another vampire taking over their territory that frightens him, or something else?

Lili smiles at him, and he must be imagining the slightly haunted look in her eyes. "As sure as she ever is."

They leave within the fortnight, headed northeast towards Inola's past home in Georgia, where Lila is fairly certain they will find her. When their surroundings seem vaguely familiar, Benito makes an excuse for a detour, though he is sure Lili sees through the deception. Soon, they are by the coast, near Florida. Benito revels in the sisters' happiness, as they see the ocean for the first time, as they try hundreds of new things, from swimming in the ocean (the fish always flee from Benito and Liliana but allow Lila and Lili to go near them) to fighting bears (Benito only lets Liliana do it - Lila and Lili, even with their abilities, are too fragile, in comparison to a normal vampire) to testing the abilities of the three sisters. When they reach Georgia, Lila and Liliana working together are able to track down Inola and her transformed mate, her childhood friend Wohali.

The two are surprised, of course, at Benito and his sisters, but the two are gracious hosts. When they first meet, Benito considers hiding the truth about his sisters to them, but immediately strikes the idea down. This is Inola. If he can trust anyone, he can trust her.

The tension, though, of having four full vampires and two half-vampires in one area gets to them. Benito and his sisters depart after a few weeks, heading further north. They rarely see other nomads along the way, in part due to Lila and Lili's abilities, but when they do, they leave quickly. Benito does not wish to risk territorial instincts coming into play.

They are in New York (a city not as impressive as the stories made it seem) when they first hear of the declaration. Benito is thrilled when he hears of Mexico's declaration of independence from Spain, after eleven years of fighting. Although he has not played a significant part in the rebellion, other than the mysterious deaths of some important Spanish officials, he feels like his vow has been, in some part, fulfilled.

After six years, they return to Dallas. That is when the trouble starts again.

«««««« ιστορια ωμνιαμ αβλητερο πηνγητ ημαγο »»»»»»

_1825_

Benito immediately cringes at the obviously recent scent of other vampires on the territory - their territory. After Lila promised nothing would happen! When he turns to them, it is Liliana's hard gaze that meets his.

"Lila saw this was the best future. The others ended in our death or your death or someone dying."

"So we let some _desconocido_ take over our territory?" Benito demands, wincing afterwards at how possessive, how Lorenzo-like, he sounds. But this territory is theirs. If they have nothing, no territory, no blood, then who are they? Who is he?

Lila has control now. Her eyes are unfocused as she looks into the most likely few futures of their current location. "Something is going to happen," she says. "I can't tell what yet - there are too many factors at play and the timelines get all tangled. But it looks like this is going to set off something that will change everything."

Benito does not know how he feels about this declaration. He has always known he would change the world. Is his part not done?

In the next few days, Benito spreads his scent around the area, warning the intruders back. He does not tell his sisters; he knows they would not approve of his actions. By the way his scent trails are constantly overlaid, he knows the intruders have understood his message, and are ignoring it.

Lili is with Benito when the intruders finally show themselves.

They appear silently in front of Benito and his sisters, in a deserted part of town. There are four of them, which immediately sets Benito on edge. There is no way he could easily defeat them in a fight.

The leader, a vaguely Criollo man, smirks slightly as he surveys them, noting their numbers in comparison. His mate, an obvious mixed-race woman, cocks her head at Lili. Besides her, another, mulatto, woman's gaze is hard as takes in every inch of their surroundings.

And her mate, the wild-looking mestizo besides her? He is trembling, his nostrils flaring wide in Lili's direction.

That is when Benito realizes: they think she is human.

Without warning, the second male pounces at Lili. She has already read his intentions, though, and Benito's breath released when he sees that she is unharmed.

Only, it's not Lili anymore. Lila has taken control.

Her eyes are unfocused, looking into the future for the best path. Benito can guess why they have not transformed into Liliana. They dare not risk their secret to the other coven.

The others of the coven, while on edge before, are positively brimming with aggression. Benito understands, now. They may have come to negotiate, but the second male's attack has meant that they will kill Benito and his sisters.

Unless Lila sees a way for them to get out.

Lila's gaze finds him, then moves in the direction of the river nearby. They must escape, he translates, and confuse their scent. He nods in response.

When the other coven attacks, Benito is ready. Dodging several blows from the two females and other male, Benito sets off, drawing them away from his sisters. He has always been fast, as a vampire, and his speed comes in handy as they fall behind, chasing him.

Three of the four are chasing him, leaving that one initial male with Lila. He hopes that her, and her sisters', gifts are enough to protect her. It is agony, running in the opposite direction while not knowing if they are in danger, but Benito's tactical training tells him that this is the best way.

He soon loses his tails, running into the river to confuse his scent, and taking a purposely roundabout path to their meeting spot, a cabin at the outskirts of the town, just in case. He waits in tension until, finally, a figure comes running up.

She runs at vampire speed. It's Liliana.

Once she reaches him, Lili takes control. The most often spokesperson of the three sisters explains.

"Lila didn't see it coming - it was a split-second decision when they encountered your scent around town, and wasn't one of the likely ones, before. The mulatto female, Madelena, and her mate, Julliau, just came from their territory further south, which was why she didn't see the other part, either, that for some reason, our - Lila and my - blood appeals to Julliau, more than a normal human's would. It's diluted, since we are vampire-ish, but still really strong. They hadn't been planning on attacking, but Madelena always stands by her mate, and Juan and Marta saw no reason to stand by or stop them."

By the time she is finished explaining, Benito is furious. Not with his sisters, not even with the other coven, with himself. What had he been thinking, putting them in danger by deliberately taunting the other vampires? They could have died!

It is too late now, though. Benito knows that the other coven will not let them go, especially not if what Lili has said about her scent and the male, Julliau, is true. He, they, will hunt them to the ends of the world. And Benito cannot defeat them alone, at least, not with enormous risk to himself. And, like before, he cannot protect his sisters if he is dead.

He cannot let his sisters die.

Benito's path is set now, and if Lila were present, he knows she would cringe at the violence in what he will do next. But she is not present, and even if she were, she could not stop him.

The other coven must die. They must die, so Benito and his sisters may live.

The plan Benito thought of years ago must finally be put into play. He must create the _ejército_, the army, of newborn vampires.

For Liliana, Lili, and Lila. For the past, when he was not there, the present, which cannot last, and the future, which must have all four of them in it.

Lorenzo once told him that people like him are special, are more than others. Benito is not sure if it is true, that others cannot make a difference, but he knows this: that this is how Benito will change the world.

* * *

VI: El Enemigo

_1826_

That night, as Lili sleeps, Benito begins work. He first finds an empty building far from town and the scent of human blood, and the reach of his sisters' gifts. For some reason, he does not want them to know about his newest project, at least, not yet. In the building, he designates the rooms in his mind: for the transformation, for the other vampires, for training, and so on. He crafts a story of lies to tell the newborns, using myths about vampires and ideas that will keep them under control. When everything is under control, he goes into the town to find his first few targets.

Benito has a specific set of criteria in mind. Unlike when he hunts for blood, this hunt for soldiers must yield newborns who will follow orders, not question his lies, will be especially strong, and will not be missed. The last is for his sisters, who have always had too much compassion for the life they live.

He takes five men that night. The first two, he is unable to stop feeding fast enough. The third barely survives. The fourth and the fifth he barely bites before letting them transform. He gags them to prevent their screams from filling the area and makes sure they are tied down carefully. Then he waits. He has brought a bunch of books for entertainment.

Two days later, one man's transformation is almost complete. The other two have about a day left. Benito takes the first man to a different room, then runs to the city for some blood for the new vampire. He is careful to satiate his own thirst so he is least likely to end up killing the man, then brings two unconscious bodies back to the building with him.

The first newborn is almost ready.

When the bright crimson eyes of the new vampire open, Benito tosses one of the bodies to him. The newborn attacks the body, feeding with vengeance, then the other when he finishes. Afterwards, his eyes turn to Benito. They are almost frightening to look at, wild and unsettled.

"More," he says. Benito does not move. "More!" He launches himself at Benito, who is ready. With practiced movements, Benito dodges the attacks, then places his teeth at the newborn's neck.

The man keeps moving. Smothering the part of him that says it's not the newborn's fault, Benito tears off the man's arm. With a cry of pain, the new vampire freezes.

"What are you?" he whispers in fear.

"I am Benito," Benito replies, his voice cold and hard. "I am your creator. And I am what you are now: a vampire."

The first vampire, Miguel, and the next two, Ramiro and, ironically, Juan, keep Benito busy. His lies, though, are enough to keep them in check, at least for the time being.

Or so he thinks.

One night, as he returns with more blood for the newborns, Benito finds that Ramiro and Juan are dead, and that only Miguel remains, tending to his wounds.

Benito thought he hadn't left them with any matches.

Benito realizes that he needs more than just himself to keep the newborns in check. And so, he trains Miguel to act as his 'second'.

There is another he wishes could be his second in command, but they still know nothing of his attempts at an army.

Benito creates more newborns. Most die within weeks, at the hands of others. He cannot retain more than five at a time, to his extreme frustration. Even Miguel dies within a month at the hands of others.

And one day, as he prepares to return to his army from a visit to his sisters, they confront him.

They know.

And so he explains. He could never keep a secret from them for long. Benito winces at every horrified expression, coming from all three of them, as he answers their questions. He almost cannot stand Liliana's hardened look of betrayal, Lili's horrified look of outrage, but worst of all, Lila's sorrowful look of pity.

But slowly he convinces them.

All three care more about the lives of the other two, and him, than of their own lives, and wouldn't sacrifice each other. That is what he uses to persuade them. Liliana will not let Lili and Lila die. Lili will not let Liliana and Lila die. Lila will not let Liliana and Lili die. Julliau and his coven still hunt them. This army of newborns is how they must survive.

When Benito returns to the no-longer-abandoned building, Liliana is by his side.

With his sisters helping, Benito's army thrives. Their numbers double to ten at their peak. And that is when Benito decided they are ready.

Lila sees the other coven's locations. At nightfall, the newborn army attacks.

The loses are devastating. The entire army is wiped out, but among the bonfires is Marta and Julliau.

His sisters are finally safe.

But Lila's gift shows them otherwise. Juan and Madelena still live, and now that their mates are dead, they will not rest until Benito and his sisters, too, are nothing more than ash.

But Juan and Madelena are smart. They know they cannot best the newborn armies on their own, and that attempts to copy Benito may still lead to their own deaths. And so they choose a path even Lila did not see.

They spread the word. And slowly but surely, newborn armies rise all along the area, from Central America to Florida.

When he first thought of his idea, Benito had no idea where the path would lead. And now, Liliana, Lili, and Lila are in greater danger than ever.

Perhaps the world was wide enough for them and for Julliau's coven. Perhaps, like his sisters said, there were other choices they could have made. But it is too late now.

What choice does Benito have, but to make more newborn vampires?

«««««« ιστορια ωμνιαμ αβλητερο πηνγητ ημαγο »»»»»»

_1827-1830_

Covens all across the area attack Benito. They see his army as the greatest threat. And as he wins battle after battle, gaining more and more territory further and further south, he does seem to be. None of the covens have his tactical sense, and most of their armies are cheap imitations of his own. His sisters' gifts, too, are extremely helpful. Benito almost always knows when an attack will happen at least hours before it does.

Of his two original enemies, Madelena dies in a battle within a year. Juan, though, remains more elusive, prompting armies to attack Benito but never leading the offensive himself. No matter how hard Benito tries, he cannot kill him.

Benito finds more benefits, too, to the vast territory he now holds. He now has more access than ever to blood, which, to most covens, is the purpose in the first place. Even his sisters enjoyed the constant access, without fearing exposure to humans.

The wars, though, of course, come at a cost.

Human populations in the area are decimated by the large influx of new vampires. There are too many sightings, too many drained bodies, too many gone missing.

And one day, Lila sees it. The Volturi are coming.

«««««« ιστορια ωμνιαμ αβλητερο πηνγητ ημαγο »»»»»»

_1831_

The Italian coven first appears in the east. Benito hears word of covens decimated, armies massacred, by the unstoppable strength of the vampiric police force. And one more thing.

All the covens know of one thing, thanks to Juan and Madelena: that Benito was the vampire who started it.

As the Volturi draw closer and closer, Benito makes his decision. He knows that he must die, as an example to the world.

But he cannot let his sisters die. Liliana, Lili, and Lila _must_ survive.

But they will not leave him of their own will. Their loyalty to him, that he has always been grateful for, now will keep him from saving them. Unless.

And so he makes his decision.

Benito watches from a distance as one of his older newborns, Austin, attacks his sisters. He watches as they escape, as Lili reads the reason why, as they realize that it was Benito, their brother, their protector, who sent him.

And then he waits.

«««««« ιστορια ωμνιαμ αβλητερο πηνγητ ημαγο »»»»»»

_1832_

When the Volturi come, it is with a strange kind of grace. Their signature dark cloaks flood the area in an eerie procession.

Benito's ragged newborn army has nothing on them.

The infamous Witch Twins use their gifts, and the entire army freezes, devoid of their senses. It is a massacre, a slaughter. Not one newborn remains.

And then they come for Benito.

He watches as they approach his hideout. He is afraid. Many times before, Benito has imagined his death, always at the hands of other vampires, of course, but he has never imagined _this_. This is where it will get him.

He does not fight as they grab him and force him to his knees before the core coven, the ancients, Aro and Caius. He does not resist as Aro takes his hand.

He knows that this is the end, but at least he has saved his sisters.

Or so he thinks. After a few seconds, Aro's grasp tightens. "Where is she?" he asks quietly, deadly.

Long gone, Benito thinks. And he knows he does not imagine the angry glare in Aro's crimson eyes, as if he was not given something he wanted.

"Demetri!" he hisses to the cloaked figures around him. Words float out in response.

"...tracking...ran off..._la tua cantante_..." Benito does not understand, but he smirks anyway. Any loss to the Volturi is a win for him.

"Find him now!" Aro replies.

And suddenly, Benito's perspective of everything is changed. The Volturi are not only here to enforce the law. There is something more that they want. His sisters are powerful. And Aro wants them.

History obliterates. And when it is all over, Benito knows he will not be the one to tell the story. He has known this, perhaps from the very beginning.

He knows that, despite what the Volturi know from him, they will transform him into the villain, the greedy young vampire who attacked first, for dominance over the South and for blood. He knows he cannot save his legacy, nor himself.

All he hopes is that he has saved his sisters. Liliana, Lili, Lila, the ones it was all for. It would all be for nothing if they die.

He cannot let them die. He will not let them die. They cannot die.

And Aro cannot get them.

With a sudden movement, Benito attacks. He cannot let Aro see anything else that he knows. He must protect his sisters. His attack is futile, of course, but he does not stop struggling.

He goes down fighting. He _forces_ them to kill him.

He burns. But Liliana, Lili, and Lila survive.


End file.
